Match Made In Seconds
by A. Heimby
Summary: Reddington didn't miss things. He certainty hadn't missed the looks that Agent Ressler threw at Lizzy when he thought no one was looking, and he didn't miss Lizzy's apparent need to be there for Ressler, to protect and comfort him. He noticed the pull they had on each other from day one, even if neither of them saw it. He decided, it was time they did.
1. Chapter 1

Reddington didn't miss things. If it happened, he knew about it. He certainty hadn't missed the looks that Agent Ressler threw at Lizzy when he thought no one was looking, and he didn't miss Lizzy's apparent need to be there for Ressler, to protect and comfort him. He noticed the pull they had on each other from day one, even if neither of them saw it.

That was why, after another night of sitting and holding a heart broken woman in his arms, Red came to the decision that it was time they did notice. He loved comforting Lizzy, getting to hold her close as he ran his hand through her hair to calm her, but it was killing him to see her like this. Without her knowing his true connection to her, he would never be able to be enough of a comfort to her. She needed to feel loved, be it paternal or romantic, and since he was far from ready to tell her the truth, it would have to be romantic, meaning he had to find her someone. He didn't even entertain the thought of really looking because he knew automatically it had to be Donald.

After coming to the decision that it was best to fill the whole in Lizzy's heart with what she had lost, a loving partner, he started to formulate how to make that happen. He paid yet more attention to the two whenever they were working on a case, carefully observing how close they got, how often they touched, and more so in Donald's case, how often they stared. He wanted to know how far they had gotten on their own and how much he would have to push them together.

He also watched them individually. He watched for signs of how far Donald had gotten in grieving over Audrey, and how closed off Lizzy had gotten since the light had been shone on Tom. He watched how they interacted with others compared to how they interacted with each other. He watched to make sure that it truley was a possibility before he put in any real effort to match them up.

It only took a few days for him to conclude that it was more than possible; that if time had permitted it, they would have most likely gotten there themselves, eventually. Time, however, was not on their side so he would have to expedite things a little. He had to do it for Lizzy, and he wanted to do it for Donald as well. He enjoyed messing with the man, but he was a good person who deserved to be happy, and Red knew that Lizzy would make him happy, as would he make her happy.

It was with that in mind that Red decided what his first move to push these two together would be.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Red walked into the post office, looking cool, calm, and collected as always, but there with a glint in his eyes; a mischievous glint that put everybody on edge slightly but that they ultimately ignored. It wasn't like they had never seen it before.

Elizabeth was the first one to say anything as they gathered around the table that served as a meeting place. She studied his face for a second before furrowing her brow in question and asking, "What are you up to, Red?" She pursed her lips slightly before observing, "You look like you're planning something."

Red simply laughed, saying, "When am I not planning something, Lizzy?" She seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding slightly and looking away. It seemed like it was enough of an answer for her, at least for the moment. He knew better than to think she had dropped it completely. She was like him in that sense, once she wanted to know something nothing would stop her from eventually finding out.

Not half a minute later Red was smirking to himself as Agent Ressler came toward the table, stopping on the other side of Lizzy. He didn't miss the fact that it was closer then was generally acceptable in a work place between 'colleagues'. They just couldn't stay away from each other, be it conscious or not; they were drawn to one another.

Agent Ressler looked at him in a similar way to how Lizzy had, only more suspicious. Red's smirk only grew as Ressler leaned toward him, resting his elbow on the table, effectively invading Lizzy's personal space, as he asked with a slight glare, "What are you plotting this time, Reddington?"

Sending the Agent a sly grin, Red told him, "Oh, don't worry, Donald. You'll know in due time." Unlike Lizzy, Ressler was far from satisfied with the answer he got. Instead he intensified his glare, letting out a low frustrated growl as he stood up straight again.

He seemed to take a moment to pull himself together, but once he had he instead turned to Lizzy and the two exchanged small talk while they waited for Cooper. Red simply stood off to the side and listened. After all, you never know when something useful may be revealed.

By the time Cooper did show up Reddington was a little disappointed. The conversation between the two had been filled with them lying to each other about how things were. Donald pretending he was completely over everything that had happened with Audrey, and Lizzy acting like everything at home was better than ever. It had actually been a relief when Aram and Meera had shown up because it proved to be a distraction from the looks the two were throwing at one another that clearly said they didn't believe a word that the other was saying.

Red refocused his attention after Cooper cleared his throat. Cooper didn't even bother saying anything, simply indicating Red with a small wave of his arm. Red told them about a blacklister that operated out of Canada. In truth, compared to others on the list, the man was small potatoes, but really anybody who made it on the list was worth stopping. This man in particular ran a camp deep in the mountains that offered up the services of hunting. When he had gotten confused looks at his description, he clarified one thing, saying, "People pay him to hunt things that are illegal to hunt, and recently, it has come to my attention that he has moved up to offering the most dangerous game."

It was Ressler who first got the reference as he blurted, "He letting people pay to hunt other people?" A look of distaste was on his face as he said the words and the look quickly spread to the other four people around the table.

Red kept his face blank as he simply nodded. Lizzy was the next to speak as she asked, "Who exactly is being hunted? Surly a bunch of missing people would be noticed by the police up there."

This time Red let the grimace cross his face as he said, "He's smart. When he does kidnap people he makes sure to spread out the disappearances over the whole of the country, which in itself is no easy feat, and speaks of a vast network, or at least a well placed one. He also has the people who pay to hunt, sometimes unknowingly hunt each other, which in itself in ingenious." Red paused, thinking, before he started again. "The thing that's concerning, however, is that he has started crossing the border, taking people from here as well. He is getting bolder and seems to be expanding his business. It worries me what that may entail."

Meera looked thoughtful as she asked, "But if his network is as vast as you think, or well connected, how will we even be able to take it all down?"

Red smiled at her as he answered, "Ah, well, in this case Agent Malik, I think that 'cutting the snake off at the head' is very fitting. As far as I can tell, if he falls, it all falls."

After a few more minutes of discussion, of forming a game plan, they all split off, getting ready to leave as soon as possible. Cooper had to clear things with the Canadian government before his team left. Red, in the meantime, had his own plan swinging into action. He had a few things to verify before they left.

As they were leaving he couldn't keep the grin off his face as he watched Ressler pick up Lizzy's bag as well as his own. This would be easy. They already had the feelings, that much was obvious; it was just a matter of getting them to let those feelings show.

* * *

_**Sorry for the short chapters, they should pick up size now.** _


End file.
